Method and apparatus for producing power



Dec. 30, 1941'. E. 'r. TURNER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POWERFiled Mardh 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Stieet 1 m vo's r 36/01 VlJdlA/ll E. T.TURNER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POWER Filed March 6, 1959 2She ets-Sheet 2 Dec. 30, 1941.

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POWER EdwardT. Turner, Dayton, Ohio Application March 6, 1939, Serial No. 259,982

20 Claims.

plant and will thus reduce the amount of steam required to produce agiven amount of power and thereby reduce fuel consumption.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and eificientmethod and apparatus for preheating feed water and imparting thereto ahigh pressure which will enable it to enter a boiler against boilerpressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adiabaticallycompressing a mixture of the exhaust steam and feed water, raising thetemperature of the mixture during the period of compression, andsimultaneously condensing steam in the mixture, thereby utilizing heatof the exhaust steam which would otherwise go to waste in the condenser.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for effecting asteam power cycle which will approach the Carnot cycle in efliciency.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for effecting thecompression of a mixture of steam and feed water without the use ofmoving parts.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the apparatus is describedin detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of anapparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the device for mixing low pressure steam with water andcompressing said mixture; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the feed water injector; and Figs. 4 and 5 are temperatureentropy diagrams.

In the ordinary steam plant only a relatively small part of the energyof the steam is utilized in the production of power, a large part ofthis energy being lost. For the purpose of utilizing a larger part ofthe energy of the steam I have devised a method whereby steam exhaustedfrom a power unit is mixed with feed water and the mixture compressed toimpart high pressure thereto, to condense the steam therein and imparthigh temperature to the mixture, the feed water being then convertedinto steam at said high pressure and returned to the power unit, and aportion of the exhaust steam being separated from the mixture, prior tothe compression thereof, and if desired utilized to operate a secondpower unit.

In its preferred form my method comprise introducing steam from a steamgenerator, such as a boiler, into a high pressure power unit, expandingthe steam in said power unit and exhausting the same therefrom at arelatively low pressure. This expansion is preferably effectedadiabatically but this is not essential. This low pressure steam is thenslightly expanded and mixed with feed water and the steam in saidmixture is then further expanded to impart additional velocity energy tothe mixture. While the mixture is thus moving at high velocity a portionof the steam is separated from the mixture and the remaining portion ofthe mixture, that is, the feed Water and the unseparated steam, iscompressed to a pressure sufiicient to enable the same to enter thesteam boiler and during its compression the steam entrained in said feedwater is condensed and its heat transferred to the feed water, therebyraising the feed water to a high temperature prior to its introductioninto the boiler. Preferably the separated portion of the steam isfurther utilized and for this purpose it may be compressed adiabaticallyto a pressure preferably approaching the initial pressure of the lowpressure steam and delivered to a low pressure power unit in which it isexpanded to a very low pressure and is then condensed at said lowpressure, and, if desired, the condensate may be utilized as the feedwater and mixed with the first mentioned portion of the low pressuresteam.

While the foregoing method and the apparatus for performing the same aredesigned primarily for converting water into steam and utilizing thesteam, the use of steam is not essential and various elastic fluids maybe substituted therefor. Therefore the term steam as herein used isintended to include any such elastic fluid.

The apparatus for performing the method may take various forms and theparticular apparatus here illustrated comprises a high pressure powerunit Ill and a low pressure power unit I I. The terms high pressure andlow pressure are here used merely to designate the difference inpressure at which the two power units operate and the power units may beoperated at any desired pressure so long as one operates at a lowerpressure than the other. The high pressure power unit In is connected bya pipe l2 with a steam generator, such as a boiler 13, and the steamwhich is delivered from the boiler to the power unit ,at high pressureis expanded through the power unit and is exhausted therefrom through anexhaust conduit 14. The exhaust nular passageway constituting a mixingchamber as shown at I1. structure at said larger end thereof is a headI8 having an opening I9 which is connected at one end with the exhaustconduit I4 and communicates at its other end with the mixing chamber H.The larger end of the core I6 extends into this opening I9 and istapered, as shown at 20, to provide between the same and the wall of theopening I9 an annular tapered passageway 2I which constitutes the steaminlet for the mixing chamber IT. A cross bar 22 secured to the head I8is connected with and constitutes a support for the core I6. The head I8is provided with an annular channel 23 which is connected by a pipe 24with a source of supply for feed water. This annular channel isconnected with the mixing chamber by a passageway 25 which constitutes afeed water inlet for the mixing chamber and preferably is annular inform and extends entirely about the steam inlet 2|.

The steam inlet 2I is so shaped that the low pressure steam passingthrough the same will be slightly expanded to impart velocity energythereto, so that, the incoming steam will carry feed water with it intoand through the mixing chamber IT, in which the steam and feed water areintimately mixed. That portion of the annular passageway, through thetubular structure I5, which lies just beyond the mixing chamber I1 isshaped to provide an expansion nozzle 26 in which the steam in themixture of steam and water is expanded to impart a high velocity to themixture. The mixture at this high velocity is discharged from theexpansion nozzle through a directing chamber 21 which is arranged todirect the mixture of steam and water along and in contact with thetapered surface of the core I6 and that portion of the annularpassageway in the tubular structure which lies beyond the directingchamber is enlarged, as shown at 28, to form a separating chamber. Asthe mixture of steam and water moves along the tapered surface of thecore the mixture is compressed to a more compact form which results in aportion of the steam being squeezed out of the mixture and dischargedlaterally into the separating cham- Connected with said tubular entinstance this compression nozzle communicates with and is supported by apipe 30 which leads to the boiler I3. As the mixture of steam and waterpasses through the compression nozzle it is adiabatically compressed andthe velocity energy of the mixture converted into pressure energy and atthe same time the steam which is contained in the mixture is condensedand the water heated to a high temperature, The pressure thus impartedto the feed water, which now includes the condensed steam, is sufiicientto deliver the feed water through the pipe 30 into the boiler, againstboiler pressure, thus the feed wanozzle the steam in the mixture may befully conber 28, so that the separated steam moves along H The mixtureof steam and feed Water passes beyond the small end of the core I6 intoa compression nozzle 29. As here shown, the compression nozzle isseparate from the passageway through the tubular separator I5 and ismounted in the smaller end portion of that passageway and spaced fromthe walls thereof. In the presdensed at a pressure somewhat below boilerpressure. When this is done it will usually be desirable to further heatthe feed water by the application of external heat, as by a heater 30a.However, it may be desirable to effect condensation at a pressure belowboiler pressure under some circumstances, such as when external heat isavailable for the purpose at low cost,

The steam which is separated from the mixture in the tubular structuremay be discharged to waste or utilized in any desired manner. In thepresent apparatus the space between the compression nozzle I9 and thewall of the tubular structure I5 is shaped to form a steam compressionchamber 3| which receives the separated steam from the separatingchamber at high velocity and compresses the same adiabatically to apressure which preferably approximates the pressure at which the lowpressure steam is exhausted from the high pressure turbine. Theseparated steam at this pressure is delivered from the compressionchamber into a. discharge chamber 32 from which it passes through aconduit 33 to the low pressure turbine I I' in which it is expandedadiabatically to a very low pressure and is exhausted through a conduit34 to a condenser 35. The condensate may be withdrawn from the condenserand delivered to the mixing chamber H, as feed water, at substantiallycondenser temperature.

The condensate may be transferred from the condenser to the mixingchamber in any suitable manner but I prefer to employ an injector forthis purpose and to actuate the injector by steam withdrawn from theexhaust conduit I4. For this purpose I have provided an injector 31,connected by a pipe 38 with the condenser 35, and a compression nozzle39 which is connected bythe feed water supply pipe 24 with the annularchannel 23 in the head I8. Extending into the mixing chamber 31 of theinjector is an expansion nozzle 40 which is connected by a pipe M withthe exhaust conduit I4 in advance of the mixing chamber. The pipe 4| isof small capacity so that a small portion only of the low pressure steamis withdrawn from the exhaust conduit. As this steam passes through theexpansion nozzle 40 its pressure energy is converted into velocityenergy which serves to draw the condensate from the condenser 35 intothe mixing chamber 31 and to there mix the same with the steam. Thismixture is then discharged into the compression nozzle 39 where itsvelocity energy is converted into pressure energy and the mixture ofsteam and condensate, or feed water, is delivered through the pipe 24and channel 23 to the mixing chamber IT.

The amount of feed water required by the boiler will fluctuate underdifferent conditions of operation, such as variations in the loadimposed upon the power elements, and when the flow of feed water throughthe tubular structure I5 is reduced the quantity of steam condensed inthe steam compression nozzle 29 is also reduced and as a result thesteam pressure in the separating chamber 28 will tend to rise and mayreach a pressure which will interfere with the proper functioning of theapparatus. To avoid this and to maintain an approximately uniformpressure in the separating chamber I have provided means controlled bythe pressure in the separating chamber to by-pass a portion of the lowpressure steam from the exhaust conduit 14 directly to the conduit 33through which the separated steam is discharged from the tubularstructure l5 and which in the present instance leads to the low pressurepower unit. As here shown, this bypass comprises a conduit 42 which isprovided with a valve 43 to control the flow of steam through the same.The valve is actuated by a lever 44 connected at one end with the stem45 of the valve and at its other end with a bellows 46 which isconnected by a pipe 41 with the separating chamber 28, the arrangementbeing such that when the pressure in .the separating chamber rises to anobjectionable extent this pressure will act upon the bellows 46 to openthe valve 43 and thus by-pass a portion of the steam sufficient tomaintain the steam in the separating chamber at the desired pressure.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description a large part of theheat and pressure energies of the exhaust steam, which is dischargedfrom the high pressure power unit, is utilized, a portion of this steamserving to heat and impart high pressure to the feed water, and anotherportion of this steam serving to operate the low pressure power unit,after which it may be con densed and the condensate utilized as the feedwater which is delivered to the mixing chamber and mixed with the firstmentioned portion of the low pressure steam. Ihus the heat of a portionof the steam exhausted from the high pressure power unit is retained inthe compressed mixture of steam and feed water instead of beingdissipated in the condenser as is customary and as a result the amountof steam and therefore the amount of fuel required to produce a givenamount of power is substantially reduced, with a sented by the area acea and the waste energy 5i is represented by the area afgia. The usefulenergy derived from the use of the present apparatus is represented bythe area cefbc while the Waste energy resulting from the use of thisapparatus is represented by the area bfghb. The

efficiency of the apparatus is indicated by the ratio of the useful areato the total area, that is, the sum of the useful and waste areas, andit will be noted that the ratio of the useful area to the wasted arearesulting from the use of the present apparatus is much larger than theratio of the useful energy to the wasted energy in the ordinaryapparatus, thus clearly indicating materially increased efficiency inthe present apparatus.

The diagram of Fig. 4 assumes that the steam is not fully condensed inthe mixture until the mixture is compressed to boiler pressure. When thecondensation of the steam is effected at a pressure somewhat belowboiler pressure the diagram is modified, as shown in Fig. 5. There theuseful area of the ordinary steam plant is represented by the areaacc'efa and the wasted energy is represented by the area afgia. Theuseful energy derived from the present apparatus under the conditionslast named is represented by the area cc'efbc and the wasted energy isrepresented by the area bfghb. And again it will be noted that the ratioof useful energy to wasted energy is much greater in the presentapparatus than it is in the. ordinary steam plant.

While I have described my preferred method and have shown and describedone form of apparatus for performing that method I wish it to beunderstood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof asvarious modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A method of producing power which comprises expanding high pressuresteam through a power unit to a lower pressure, mixing said steam atsaid lower pressure with feed water and expanding the steam to impartvelocity energy to said mixture of steam and, water, separating aportion only of said steam from said mixture at high velocity,separately utilizing said separated steam, compressing the remainder ofsaid mixture to convert velocity energy thereof into pressure energy andto condense the steam which is entrained in said feed Water, convertingthe mixture of feed water and condensed steam into high pressure steam,and utilizing said high pressure steam.

2. A method of producing power which cornprises expanding high pressuresteam through a power unit to a lower pressure, mixing said steam atsaid lower pressure with feed water and expanding said steam to impartvelocity energy to said mixture of steam and water, separating a portiononly of said steam from said mixture at high velocity, compressing theremainder of said mixture to convert velocity energy thereof intopressure energy and to condense the steam which is entrained in saidfeed water, converting the mixture of feed Water and condensed steaminto high pressure steam, condensing the'separated steam, utilizing thecondensate as feed water and mixing the same with the steam from saidpower unit.

3. A method of producing power which comprises expanding high pressuresteam through a high pressure power unit to a lower pressure, mixingsaid steam at said lower pressure with feed water, expanding the steamin said mixture to impart velocity energy to the mixture of steam andWater, separating a portion of the steam from said mixture, compressingthe separated steam to convert velocity energy thereof into pressureenergy, expanding said separated steam through a low pressure power unitto a lower pressure, compressing the remainder of said mixture of Waterand unseparated steam to convert velocity energy thereof into pressureenergy and to condense said steam, and then converting said mixture offeed water and condensed steam at high pressure into steam.

4. A method of producing power which comprises expanding high pressuresteam through a high pressure power unit to a lower pressure, mixingsaid steam at said lower pressure with feed water, expanding the steamin said mixture to impart velocity energy to the mixture of steam andwater, separating a portion of the steam from said mixture, compressingthe remainder of said mixture adiabatically to convert velocity energythereof into pressure energy and to condense the unseparated steam,converting the mixture of feed water and condensed steam into highpressure steam, compressing the separated steam adiabatically to convertvelocity energy thereof into pressure energy, expanding said separatedsteam adiabatically through a low pressure power unit to a lowerpressure, condensing the steam exhausted from said low pressure powerunit and utilizing the condensate as the feed water which is mixed withsteam from said high pressure power unit.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means fordelivering high pressure steam to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, means for mixing said low pressuresteam with and expanding the same in said water to impart velocityenergy to the mixture of steam and water, means for separating a portionof the steam from said mixture at said velocity and delivering theseparated steam to a point of use, means for compressing the mixture ofwater and unseparated steam to a higher pressure, and means forutilizing the same at said high pressure.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means fordelivering high pressure steam to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, means for mixing said low pressuresteam with feed, water and expanding said steam in said feed water toimpart velocity energy to the mixture of steam and feed water, acondenser, means for separating a portion of the steam from said mixtureand delivering the same to said condenser, means for compressing themixture of feed water and unseparated steam to a high pressure, meansfor converting said feed water into steam at said high pressure, andmeans for delivering the condensate from said condenser to said mixingmeans.

'7. In a power apparatus comprising a high pressure power unit and a lowpressure power unit, means for delivering steam to said high pressurepower unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lower pressure, meansfor mixing said steam at said low pressure with feed water and expandingsaid steam in said feed water to impart velocity energy to the mixtureof steam and feed water, means for separating a portion of said steamfrom said mixture and converting velocity energy thereof into pressureenergy, means for delivering said separated steam to said low pressurepower unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lower pressure, meansfor converting velocity energy of said mixture of feed water andunseparated steam into pressure energy, and means for converting saidmixture into steam at said pressure.

8. In a power apparatus comprising a high pressure power unit and alowpressure power unit, means for delivering steam to said high pressurepower unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lower pressure, meansfor mixing said steam at said low pressure with feed water and expandingsaid steam in said feed water to impart velocity energy to the mixtureof steam and feed water, means for separating a portion of said steamfrom said mixture and converting velocity energy thereof into pressureenergy, means for delivering said separated steam to said low pressurepower unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lower pressure, acondenser connected with said low pressure power unit to receive thesteam therefrom, means for delivering the condensate from said condenserto said mixing means, means for converting velocity energy of saidmixture of feed water and unseparated steam into pressure energy, andmeans for converting said mixture into steam at said pressure.

9. In a power apparatus comprising a high pressure power unit and a lowpressure power unit, means for delivering steam to said high pressurepower unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lower pressure, meansfor mixing said steam at said lower pressure with feed water andexpanding said steam in said feed water to impart velocity energy to themixture of steam and feed water, means for separating a portion of saidsteam from said mixture and converting velocity energy thereof intopressure energy, means for delivering said separated steam to said lowpressure power unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lowerpressure, a condenser connected with said low pressure power unit toreceive the steam therefrom, an injector, means for connecting saidinjector with said condenser and with said mixing means, means fordelivering a portion of said low pressure steam to said injector, meansfor converting velocity energy of said mixture of feed water andunseparated steam into pressure energy, and means for converting saidmixture at said pressure into steam.

10. In a power apparatus comprising a high pressure power unit and a lowpressure power unit, means for delivering steam to said high pressurepower unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lower pressure, meansfor mixing said steam at said lower pressure with feed water andexpanding said steam in said feed water to impart velocity energy to themixture of steam and feed water, means for separating a portion of saidsteam from said mixture and converting velocity energy thereof intopressure energy, means for delivering said separated steam to said lowpressure power unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lowerpressure, means for converting velocity energy of said mixture of feedwater and unseparated steam into pressure energy, means for convertingsaid mixture into steam at said pressure, and means controlled bypressure in said separating means for by-passing a portion of said lowpressure steam to said low pressure power unit in advance of said mixingmeans.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsupplying steam under pressure to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, a mixing chamber, a conduit toconduct said low pressure steam from said power unit to said mixingchamber, said mixing chamber having an inlet for water, an expansionchamber arranged. beyond and communicating with said mixing chamber; .aseparating chamber arranged to receivea mixture of steam and water fromsaid expansion chamber and to separate a portion of the steam from saidmixture, a compression chamber to compress the separated steam andimpart pressure energy thereto, means for utilizing said separated steamat said pressure, a compression nozzle arranged to receive from saidseparating chamber the remaining portionof said mixture of water andsteam and compress the same to a high pressure, and means for convertingsaid mixture into steam at said high pressure.

'12. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsupplying steam under pressure to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, a mixing chamber, a conduit toconduct said low pressure steam from said power unit to said mixingchamber, said mixing chamber having an inlet for water, an expansionchamber arranged beyond and communicating with said mixing chamber, aseparating chamber arranged to receive a mixture of steam and water fromsaid expansion chamber and to separate a portion of the steam from saidmixture, a compression chamber to compress the separated steam andimpart pressure energy thereto, a second power unit, a conduit fordelivering said separated steam from said compression chamber to saidsecond power unit, a compression nozzle arranged to receive from saidseparating chamber the remaining portion of said mixture of water andsteam and to compress the same to a higher pressure, and means forconverting said mixture to steam at said high pressure.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsupplying steam under pressure to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, a mixing chamber, a conduit toconduct said low pressure steam from said power unit to said mixingchamber, said mixing chamber having an inlet for water, an expansionchamber arranged beyond and communicating with said mixing chamber, aseparating chamber arranged to receive a mixture of steam and water fromsaid expansion chamber and to separate a portion of the steam from saidmixture, a compression chamber to compress the separated steam andimpart pressure energy thereto, a second power unit, a conduit fordelivering said separated steam from said compression chamber to saidsecond power unit, a compression nozzle arranged to receive from saidseparating chamber the remaining portion of said mixture of water andsteam and to compress the same to a high pressure, means for convertingsaid mixture to steam at said high pressure, a by-pass connecting saidconduits, a valve in said by-pass, and means controlled by pressure insaid separating chamber for actuating said valve.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsupplying steam under pressure to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, a mixing chamber, a conduit toconduct said low pressure steam from said power unit to said mixingchamber, said mixing chamber having an inlet for water, an expansionchamber arranged beyond and communicating with said mixing chamber, aseparating chamber arranged to receive a mixture of steam and water fromsaid expansion chamber and to separate a portion of the steam from, saidmixture, a compression chamber to compress the separated steam andimpart pressure energy thereto, a compression nozzle arranged to receivefrom said separating chamber the remaining portion of said mixture ofwater and steam and compress the same to a high pressure, means forconverting said mixture into steam at said high pressure, a condenser,means for conducting said separated steam from said compression chamberto said condenser, an injector having an inlet connected with saidcondenser, and having an outlet connected with said mixing chamber, andmeans for delivering a portion of the low pressure steam from said powerunit to said injector.

15. A method of producing power which comprises expanding high pressuresteam through a power unit to a lower pressure, mixing water with saidsteam at said lower pressure, expanding said steam in said water toimpart velocity energy to the mixture of steam and water, separating aportion of the steam from said mixture at said high velocity, convertingthe velocity energy of said separated steam into pressure energy andutilizing the same at said pressure; compressing the remaining portionof said steam and water to a high pressure and condensing the steam inthe water, and converting the water and condensed steam at said highpressure into steam.

16. A method of producing power which comprises expanding high pressuresteam through a power unit to a lower pressure, expanding said steam atsaid lower pressure to impart velocity energy thereto, mixing said steamwith water to impart velocity energy to the water, separating a portionof the steam from the mixture of steam and water at said velocity andcompressing the remaining portion of said mixture of steam and water toa high pressure and condensing the steam in the water, converting thewater and condensed steam at high pressure into steam and separatelyutilizing said separated steam.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsup-plying steam under pressure to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, a mixing chamber, a conduit toconduct said low pressure steam from said power unit to said mixingchamber, said mixing chamber having an inlet for water, means forimparting velocity energy to the mixture of steam and water, aseparating chamber to receive said mixture and separate a portion of thesteam from said mixture, a conduit through which the separated steam isdischarged to a point of use, means for compressing the remainder ofsaid mixture to a high pressure and condense the steam in said mixture,means for converting said mixture at high pressure into steam, a by-passconnecting said conduits, a valve in said by-pass, and means controlledby pressure in said separating chamber for actuating said valve todivert excess steam from the first mentioned conduit to the lastmentioned conduit.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsupplying steam under pressure to said power unit and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, a tubular structure having near oneend thereof a mixing chamber, means for connecting said mixing chamberwith said power unit to receive the steam therefrom at said lowerpressure, means for supplying water to said mixing chamber, said tubularstructure having therein beyond said mixing chamber an expansion chamberto convert pressure energy of said steam into velocity energy, aseparating chamber to receive the mixture of steam and water at highvelocity and separate a portion of the steam from said mixture, and alsohaving a compression chamber arranged to receive separated steam fromsaid separating chamber and having means for discharging said separatedsteam at a higher pressure to a point of use, and a compression nozzlearranged within said tubular structure to receive the remaining portionof said mixture of steam and water and convert the velocity energythereof into pressure energy.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, a power unit, means forsupplying steam under pressure to said power unit, and exhausting thesame therefrom at a lower pressure, an elongate structure having atapered passageway, means for connecting the larger end of saidpassageway with said power unit to receive said low pressure steamtherefrom, means for supplying water to said larger end of saidpassageway, a core supported in and spaced from the wall of saidpassageway, said passageway and said core being shaped and arranged toprovide in said structure a mixing chamber at the larger end of thepassageway, an expansion chamber beyond said mixing chamber, aseparating chamber beyond said expansion chamber, a compression chamberbeyond said separating chamber having means for discharging saidseparated steam at high pressure to a point of use, a compression nozzlearranged in said compression chamber beyond said core, means forconnecting said compression chamber with a second power unit, and aheater connected with said compression nozzle.

20. In an apparatus of the character described, a high pressure powerunit and a lowpressure power unit, means for delivering steam to saidhigh pressure power unit and exhausting the same therefrom at a lowertemperature, a tubular structure having at one end an inlet for steamconnected with said high pressure power unit and an inlet for water, anelongate tapered core supported in said structure, said structure andsaid core being shapedand arranged to form between the same an annulartapered passageway having adjacent said inlets a'chamber in which thesteam and water are mixed, a part forming an expansion nozzle to expandsaid steam and impart velocity energy to the mixture of steam and water,a part beyond said expansion nozzle arranged to direct said mixture ofsteam and water along and close to the tapered surface of said core, aseparating chamberbeyond said directing part in which a portion of thesteam is separated from the mixture of steam and water, a part beyondsaid separating chamber to compress the separated steam to a higherpressure, means for delivering the steam which has been so compressed tosaid low pressure power unit, a compression nozzle arranged in saidcompression chamber in line with the smaller end of said core to receivethe remaining portion of said steam and water and compress the same to arelatively high pressure, and means for delivering the compressedmixture to a point of use.

EDWARD T. TURNER

